Chick box cleat



CHICK BOX CLEAT Filed Oct. '7, 1948 i I INVENTORI ANDREW E MILLER ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 CHICK .BOX "'CLEAT Andrew "E; Miller, Fort Lauderdalai-Flaz, assignor to-Alton Box Board Company,..-Alton, Ill., =a cor poration of Delaware ADDIic atiO'nOD'tUbe r' 7, 1948,*Seriail "N01 53,241

1 Claim; 1

This invention relates generally to baby chick boxes, andparticularly to aim forspacingcleat arrangement for such-boxes;

In the shipping of baby chicks, it is customary to utilize corrugated paper board boxes, which are provided with ventilating openings in-the sides and lid, and which, where a plurality of packages are shipped concurrently,-areprovided with spacing cleats-so arranged as'to prevent the blocking of theventilating openings'in the lid by the stacking of another similar package thereon during tranportation.

Such spacing cleats, and the arrangements for affixing them to-the chick boxes, have heretofore been provided in the 'fo'rm'of wooden blocks, which are secured to the "lids of the-chickboxes; In view of the fact that frequently alimited number of boxes of baby chicks maybe transported under circumstances such 'that blocking of the ventilating openings in the -lids will not occur, it is desirable to provide and and cleat arrangement whereby the lid may be utilized with or without such cleats, and whereby the: cleats, when desired, may be applied'with facility and without requiring the use of tools.

It is therefore anobject of the :presentinven tion to provide a chick box lid so constructed and arranged as toreleasably receivespacing cleats, and to permit of their readyapplication.

Another object-of the invention-isto provide an improved cleat.

Other objects will become apparent'to those skilled in the art when the=following description is read, in connection with the a, accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of achickbox, having ,a lid "and cleat arrangement constructed in accordance with'the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a chick box lid blank, provided with cleat-receiving openings;ilfo'rmed in accordance with the present invention; and represented" in a plurality of modifications;

Figure '3 is a sectional view','taken along line 3-3 of Figure l,"showing the cleat inlocked position'in the lid;

Figure 4 is asectional view,taken"along*the same line as Figure 3, but "showing thecleatin the process of being applied; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view-of the cleat' part; being tornaway to "reveal the 'interioriarrangement.

In' accordance with this invention; the lid of a chick box is provided 'withopenings" of a size and shape such as to pass the head of a 'T-tenonon a spacing cleat, without howeverxpassin g the body f the meaty r h openmggihfive new "ccmplementary cut outr 'l l 'w'ithin the general" gions of asize and shape-suehas toaccommodate only the neck of the 'T-'tenon;' without-passing the head thereof. In forming the 'openings; the invention contemplates that oneor more-flaps be left integral with the substanceof the lidfand that such 'flap'or flaps beso proportionedtliat, when moved back into th'epla ne-of-the lid, the flap will lock the neck ofthe 'T-tenonin position in the onset region I of the open'ing;

In view of "the fact that a-=given "li'd maybe used either with on-without spacing ==cleats, the invention further contemplates that the -*T-"tenon receiving openings inthe lid be provided with a plurality "of fiaps',"of a size and shape such as to substantially "close the opening when thecleat is not employed.

Referring now to Figure-*1 ofthe dr'awingspa conventional chick 'b'ox I; having ventilating openings '2 "in its sides and ends, is 'provided'with a lid 3. In the embodiment -showmthe lid- 3 is provided at each corner and in its center with-a spacing cleat,having*a body -portion*4,-'=and a T- tenon, including a "head 5 and a neck B,==depend-' ing from "the body portion 4. The cle'at is shown in" detail in Figure Such a- 'cle'at' 'may be formed by laminating several thicknesses of corrugated paper board, preferably '"arranged so that the corrugations 1 extend heig ht wise, as shown in the broken away'portionof Figure---5. The laminae =are *adhesively secured to one 'another "and, as shown in the drawing, are coex tensive.

In order to'provide for the ready reception; positive lockingmand easy removal of the spacing cleats, the lid 3 is provided with openings having a portion of the 'size' and shape such 'as'to-pass the head '5," and ofiset portionsofa size-and-shape such as to accommodate the =neck 6 of the-cleat. Such openingsprefe'rably take the form" illustrated in the lower right-hand corner of Figure 2, wherein the" substance cr me *lid 'isout along lines 8, 9, l 0,and I |-,'in*order todefirie-tworelatively movable flaps-12 "and I3."- 'Thesubstance of the lid is preferably scored onthe lower-side along lines l4 and I5, s0 -th'atthe na s 12 and 13 respectively "may bereadily bent downwardly about the score lines as hinges. In this form, the 'head 5 of the cleatis aligned'over flap l2, so that one edge of the 'head 5 'extends substantially along score line H, and the endsof the head 5 are adjacent but inside of the cut lines 8." With the cleatinthis position, a downwardpressure hinges the flaps I2 "and 13 "into the positions shown in Figure 4. In the form shown, the fiap l3 is provided with atab 16, extending JiIitO a outline of flap [2. The provision of such a tab l8 assures that when the tenon head is forced downwardly through the opening, defined by flap l2, flap I3 will likewise be bent downwardly. Having forced the cleat downwardly, as just described, until the bottom of the body 4 rests upon the top surface of lid 3, the cleat is slid sidewise until the neck portion 6 of the cleat occupies the offset region of the opening defined generally by the flap l3. In this position, the overhanging portions of the head 5 extend beyond the cut lines I I, so as to anchor the cleat in position. In order to lock the cleat against removal from the position just defined, flap I2 is restored into the plane of lid 3, as shown clearly in Figure 3, in which position the edge of flap l2 remote from score line I4, abuts against the side of the cleat. The indentation H in flap l2, formed by cutting out the tab It, provides a convenient finger hole through which the flap l2 may be moved back from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 3, without requiring that the attendant reach beneath the lid.

The openings for passing the head 5 of the cleat, and having offset regions for accommodating only the neck 6 of the cleat, and the flaps for such openings, may take any of a variety of forms. For example, the flap I2 may have as an integral extension 2. part 23, corresponding to the flap [3 above described. The flap 23 is, however, severed from the substance of the lid 3 along line 25, and a score line 24 provides a hinge connection between the flaps l2 and 23. With this arrangement, the surface of flap 23 lies contiguous with the side of tenon head 5 when the cleat is locked in position. If desired, and provided the size and shape of the neck 6 is not so large as to permit the exit of a baby chick, the flaps covering the offset region of the tenon accommodating opening, such as l3 and 23, may be dispensed with.

In another form, the region of the opening which passes the head 5 of the cleat, may be set at an angle with reference to the offset portion of the opening which accommodates only the neck of the cleat. In this instance, a flap 32 is hinged to the substance of the lid by a score line 34, but is severed from the lid by cut lines 38, 39, and 40. A complementary flap 33, hinged to the substance of the lid by a score line 35, and severed from the lid by cut lines 3|, defines the offset region of the opening which accommodates only the neck of the cleat. In applying the cleat to an opening of this style, the position of the cleat when forced downwardly is indicated by the dotted lines 4|. When the head 5 of the cleat has passed through the opening, the cleat is slid endwise to the position indicated by the dotted lines 42, and is then turned into its final position, indicated by the dotted lines 43.

In still another form of the cleat accommodating opening, a flap 52 is severed along three sides from the substance of the lid, and hinged thereto at a score line 54. A flap 53, defining the offset region which accommodates only the neck of the cleat, is likewise severed along three sides from the substance of the lid, and hinged thereto at a score line 55. In this instance, the offset region of the opening is located at one end of the entire opening, as distinguished from the central location in the first form above described. This arrangement necessitates endwise movement of the cleat, after the initial step of its placement.

An extreme condition may take the form shown in the-center of Figure 2, wherein flaps 62 and 53 are severed from the substance of the lid except along score lines 64 and 65 respectively. In this instance, the initial step of emplacing the cleat involves positioning the head 5 in the location indicated by the dotted lines 66. Such placement forces open both flaps 62 and flaps 63. When the cleat is turned angularly, so that the neck 6 occupies the region 61, between the edges of flaps 62 and 63, said flaps may be restored into the plane of the lid, thereby locking the cleat into position.

Irrespective of the style of opening provided for permitting the head 5 of the cleat to pass, and for accommodating the neck 6 in an offset region, the openings are preferably arranged so that when the cleat is in its final locked position at the corner areas, it overlies the vertical side wall members of box I, so that at least a trianguslar section of each corner cleat projects beyond the side wall of the box, as shown at 20 in Figure 1. In this position, the vertical load on the cleat is transmitted directly to the side walls of the box, and it is important to arrange the cleat so that, for its full width, the vertical support of the side walls is provided. It is also desirable to allow liberal flaps at the corners of box I, as shown at 2|, so as to provide additional strength against vertical loads.

The chick box is generally provided with cross dividers such as 22, which intersect beneath the center cleat. The top edges of these cross dividers are preferably out out just sufficient to accommodate the head 5 of the cleat below the surface of the lid, and so that the bottom of the cleat may rest upon the upper margins of the cross dividers 22, thereby providing support for vertical loads applied across the center.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art should readily understand that the invention accomplishes its objects, and provides a convenient and economical mode of connecting spacing cleats to the lid of a chick box, or utilizing the lid without such spacing cleats, as is desired. While one complete embodiment has been described in detail, and a variety of forms of cleat accommodating openings have been indicated, it is not to be understood that the invention is limited to the details of the foregoing disclosure, but on the contrary that it is susceptible of many variations without departing from the spirit of the invention, as indicated by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In combination with the lid of a chick box, said lid being provided with a plurality of cleat-receiving openings each adjacent a corner, each of said openings having a main portion and an offset portion of lesser area than and substantially disaligned with the main portion, and a flap in said main portion, said flap being hinged to the substance of the lid at a margin of said opening remote from said offset portion: a plurality of cleats each associated with an opening, each being composed of a multiplicity of coextensive and adhesively secured laminae of corrugated paper board, each of said cleats comprising a block having a body and a T-tenon depending from said body and mounted within the offset portion of said opening, the head of the T-tenon being spaced from the body a distance substantially the same as the thickness of the lid, being smaller than the main portion of the opening in said lid and shaped to pass therethrough and larger than the oifset portion of said opening, and the neck of said T-tenon being of a size at least as small as, and being embraced within, the offset portion of the opening and maintained therein by the flap in the main portion of said opening.

ANDREW E. MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Keys Apr. 21, 1908 Number 6 Name Date Bowersock Feb. 17, 1931 Holbrook Aug. 21, 1934 Stouffer Nov. 19, 1935 Kirby Oct. 25, 1938 Schaefer Jan. 21, 1941 Ferguson Oct. 27, 1942 Huye Mar. 11, 1947 Harness Sept. 14, 1948 Huye Oct. 5, 1948 

